HTC plans on catering to the needs of a new group of customers with the Desire 816, which is their first product in the mid-range ‘phablet’ segment. The device is priced at $300 without a contract and is the company’s first attempt to woo customers with an aggressively priced large screen device.
Even though the HTC Desire 816 misses out on the thrills of a premium flagship device and sports below average camera performance, it more than makes up for it with the price tag. Virgin Mobile is offering the 816 at a monthly installment starting from $35.
Customers who are opting for the 816 need to get disillusioned first! You frankly cannot expect the thrills that you’d get from an iPhone 6 or Samsung Galaxy S5 for that matter. However, every time you are disappointed by the device, think about its price tag and this is sure to make things better.
The HTC Desire 816 is composed primarily out of plastic. The side and rear panel are matte gray while the glossy shell is a fingerprint magnet. However, the 5.5-inch display is a life saver and is what prevents the device from looking out of proportion.
Even though the phablet features 720p display resolution, it fades out slightly near the edges due to the sheer size of the display. The display itself isn’t an issue, but viewing angles are limited.
The HTC Desire 810 features a pair of high-quality speakers classified as “BoomSound” and this is similar to the feature used in biggies such as the One M8. The Desire 816 is a stable and steady device once you consider the perks that come with the brand.
HTCs are known for their gaming capability, and the Desire 816 is no different. However, the singular flaw that met our eyes is the sticky power button that got stickier with time. Eventually, it would not pop up or respond to touch.
The HTC Desire 816 features a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor along with 1.5 Gigs of RAM. These features might have been top-end back in 2012, but in 2014, technology has taken a huge leap into the future.
However, these features keep the phablet responsive and at par with most of the mid-range devices that are available in its class. While gaming is effortless, minor lag pops up while browsing multiple websites at once.
However, the worst part about this device is limited internal storage of 8 GB, which roughly translates to 4 GB of usable space. However, there is an expandable slot for MicroSD. The Desire 816 boasts of a 2,600 mAh battery, which is capable of lasting up to 8 hours 31 minutes on constant usage, as compared to Samsung’s 3,200 mAh unit on the Galaxy Note 3. Pick your favorite!